The Pittsburgh Steelers surprised a lot of people with their performance to close out the regular season. After a brutal three-game losing streak dropped them to 7-7 heading into Week 16. With their season on the line, Mike Tomlin got his guys to respond down the stretch.
The Steelers won their last three games of the season, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens to get to 10-7 and qualify for the postseason. The last two wins came on the road as Pittsburgh earned their spot after the late-season swoon looked to have ended any chance they had of advancing.
A driving force in turning things around has been the performance of their defense. The Steelers rush the pass relentlessly, playing a big part in them ranking sixth in the NFL in points allowed. However, they weren’t the most lockdown unit when it came to preventing opponents from moving the ball.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Kool-Aid McKinstry, 2024 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
Teams could move the ball against Pittsburgh with some success as they ranked 21st in yards allowed. At times, they were susceptible to getting beat through the air. They were slightly below average, ranking 17th in yards allowed and having the No. 18 ranked coverage grade via PFF.
Addressing the cornerback position is one of the things on the Steelers’ to-do list this offseason. Even after using the No. 32 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on cornerback Joey Porter Jr. out of Penn State, the team could use some more reinforcements.
Beyond Porter, this is a unit that doesn’t have many building blocks to rely on. Patrick Peterson, who played safety at times this season when the team was short-handed in the secondary, is 33 and coming to the end of his career.
That could have the Steelers in the market for a cornerback not only in free agency but in the NFL Draft. Should that be a position they target, one player to keep an eye on, in the opinion of Trevor Sikkema of PFF, is Kool-Aid McKinstry out of Alabama.
“The Steelers did the right thing by investing in a future starting cornerback in 2023, selecting Joey Porter Jr., but they need to continue to do so, even with a first-round pick this year. Their secondary is aging fast beyond Porter, and Mckinstry is one of the most experienced press-man cornerbacks in the draft. The soon-to-be Alabama product has forced 28 incompletions over the past two seasons,” wrote Sikkema.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Kool-Aid McKinstry, 2024 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
McKinstry was excellent with Alabama this past season, earning a PFF grade of 88.8. Whether it was in coverage or helping in run defense, McKinstry was able to get the job done, earning grades of 87.8 and 83.0, respectively.
If the Steelers select McKinstry, they should be set on the boundary for years to come with him joining Porter. Having a veteran such as Peterson for the young duo to learn from would make for a passing-of-the-torch moment in Pittsburgh.
Want the latest NFL and NCAA Football analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
